Bronx, NY- In honor of the countless contributions that African-Americans have made to our country, State Senator Gustavo Rivera, the Montefiore Health System, Health First and the Claremont Community Center will host a Black History Month Celebration on Saturday, February 7th from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM.

(Bronx, NY) – Today, State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Montefiore Health System, Morris Heights Health Center, the Bronx Borough President’s African Advisory Council, The Bronx District Attorney's Office, and the New York Commission on Human Rights gathered at Claremont Neighborhood Center to inform members of the community about Ebola, discourage further violence towards the African community and promote actions the community can take to help fight this global health concern.

Thank you for your wonderful contribution to the Thanksgiving Day Creative Celebration. We received outstanding poems, essays, and artwork that exemplify the creativity of New York State’s young people.

The submissions received are remarkable in what they represent – showing gratitude and respect for family, friends, our troops fighting overseas, and many other important subjects and activities. I am humbled and honored to see such inspiring contributions in response to what is a deceptively difficult question: “What are you thankful for?”

On behalf of the New York State Senate, I would like to offer my wholehearted congratulations to all of the participants in this year’s Thanksgiving Day Creative Celebration.

State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Bronx CAN Partners to Distribute 2,000 Backpacks and Provide Health Screenings for Children and Parents

(Bronx, NY) - State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Bronx CAN partners including, Kars for Kids (www.kars4kids.org), Union Community Health Center, Montefiore Medical Center and other community health partners, have joined together to host three events throughout the 33rd Senate Districts with free health screenings and over 2,000 free backpacks for kids in kindergarten through 8th grade.

Community leaders in Van Nest who were fed up with the graffiti plaguing their neighborhood after months of constant tagging and 311 calls that weren’t yielding results say they are finally seeing improvements now the a state Senator has stepped in.

The difference between being saddled with a criminal record and keeping one’s profile clean often comes down to a person’s ability to come up with bail money, a new report from The Bronx Freedom Fund shows.

The fund, launched in 2007 and reopened in October 2013, four years after a judge ordered it to cease operation, is the first program licensed by the state to post bail on a defendant’s behalf.

The group says it has posted an average bail of $781 for 102 defendents since it reopened, resulting in the dismissal of 28 of the 44 cases that have been completed.

Often, a defendant who is unable to post bail will accept a deal to plead guilty to a lower charge, said Alyssa Work, the project manager of the Bronx Freedom Fund.

The evidence that children love and need their parents is all around us. That evidence is a lot less visible when it comes to the 80,000 children with a parent in one of New York's 57 prisons. Maybe that's because most of our prisons are located far from the urban centers where most of our prisoners' families live.

Albany, NY - Today, State Senator Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) introduced a resolution designating the month of June as Immigrant Heritage Month in New York State. The resolution seeks to highlight, recognize and celebrate the countless contributions immigrants have made to our State.

"Today, New York State took a big step toward providing thousands of New Yorkers suffering from serious and debilitating conditions access to medical marijuana to relieve their symptoms. As Ranking Member of the Senate Health Committee, I proudly voted for the Compassionate Care Act, and I congratulate Senator Diane Savino and my other colleagues who voted to approve the bill. Now it goes to Senate Finance. While its future is uncertain, I know we did the right thing today - and I will work as hard as I can to ensure that the Compassionate Care Act passes the Senate before the end of this session.

State Senator Gustavo Rivera is launching a series of legal clinics/workshops in the 33rd Senate District. They will be held at least once a month in different locations across the district and will provide individuals witht opportunity to receive free legal advice.

Dear Students,Thank you for your wonderful contribution to the New York State Senate’s Earth Day Poster Contest. This year we received many outstanding posters that exemplify the creativity of the young people in the 33rd Senatorial District.Each entry from my District displayed tremendous originality and vision as well as obvious concern for the ecological future of our communities and our state. I am proud of your work and that of your classmates, and encourage you to continue to study and learn more about the serious challenges that face our environment.I am pleased to announce that the winner of the 2014 Earth Day Poster Contest from my District is:

“As New York State Health Commissioner, Dr. Shah has done extraordinary work to advance the overall health of the people of our state. His leadership has been essential in expanding and improving the quality and access to health care for New Yorkers. His departure will truly be a loss for our state. I wish him all the best as he pursues new endeavors and look forward to working with Dr. Zucker moving forward.”